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Piecing it together

Vinyl artist works in layers

Friday, April 13, 2007

Courtesy photo. Enlarge photo.

“Blue Man,” cut vinyl by Mike Benning­hoven. His work is being represented by Schiesser Gallery and also hangs in Wired.

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By Allison Plean (Contact)

Steamboat Springs — You may have to stand back to see Mike Benninghoven’s images more clearly.

His medium is layered cut vinyl and spray-painted images that are large — typically 24 inches by 36 inches — and create a hanging challenge.

“It hangs like a poster, or I stretch it over a frame, but there’s no frame on the outside,” Benninghoven said. “It’s awkward trying to figure out what to do with the media.”

Coming up with titles for his work poses another challenge.

“My friend helps title all my pieces. I tell her how I feel, and she comes up with the name,” Benninghoven said. “I have a really hard time with it.”

It took him and his friend three hours to title the pieces that currently hang in Wired, a nightclub in Ski Time Square.

“I don’t want to project too much opinion in it,” Benninghoven said. “But at the same time, I want to give some direction.”

Benninghoven first dabbled in large-scale art projects when he was 17 and 18 years old, by making papier-maché and fiberglass sculptures. He made the switch to vinyl after being employed at Bruin Banner & Sign.

Benninghoven says his work — which covered the floor of his home before being represented by Schiesser Gallery — doesn’t necessarily make a statement.

“I don’t want to say they are political, well, maybe a little bit,” he said. “I guess I don’t like to talk about it politically because you can offend people.”

Some of Benninghoven’s work shows the contrasts in different societies.

“Some things are created just to have a piece to look at, and people take from it what they will,” he said. “And sometimes, I make stuff to see how it looks when it’s done.”

Benninghoven said his inspiration comes in spurts.

“I will go two to three months without making anything,” he said. “Then I’ll go one month without sleeping, trying to get all the ideas out before they’re gone or change.”